1. Baxter

CHAPTER 1

BAXTER

I’m getting married tomorrow.

Finally. This wedding has been three years in the making, and I’m so ready for it. I’m more than ready. It should have happened years ago, but one thing after another has thwarted our plans.

But not this time.

Tomorrow afternoon, I’ll be waiting at the end of the aisle to watch my stunning bride walk toward me. It’s going to be epic.

We just need to get through the rehearsal dinner first.

So not my thing, but it’s tradition, right?

I shake the hand of Tammy’s uncle. I should remember the guy’s name, but I don’t see the Tan family much. Once a year at Christmas is hardly enough, and I’m already flustered tonight.

For one, I’m in a suit and tie, which feels more like a straitjacket and noose around my neck. Tammy is on the other side of the room, greeting guests with her perfect smile and bubbly nature. In these situations, I feel kind of lost when she’s not by my side. Kai’s got his arm around her waist and is clinging pretty close. I get it. I wish I could do the same… and start working my way across the room as soon as I’m able.

“How’s it going, man?”

I grin at Casey, giving him a look that says it all.

He laughs and slaps me on the shoulder. “It’ll all be over soon, bro. Don’t worry about it.”

I notice his loosened tie and disheveled hair and feel a surge of envy. Wish I could do the same. Wish I could lose the tie altogether and be in jeans and my comfy work boots.

“I just have to survive tonight and the ceremony. Then I can relax.”

“Yeah, well, at least the rehearsal’s done so we all know where to stand and shit.” Casey laughs.

I nod, then glance down at Caroline, who’s sitting at the table with a small frown.

She’s pregnant and looks ready to pop. The baby isn’t due for a month yet, but she’s been complaining about the heat and muttering, “How am I going to last another four weeks!”

I heard her say that to Lani before as she wiped her brow with a napkin and shifted in her chair, rubbing her lower back and mumbling about feeling like a whale.

Casey follows my line of sight, brushing his hand over his wife’s shoulder, then playing with the ends of her hair while she continues talking to Lani, who has a loved-up smile on her face. Maybe being at this wedding is finally getting her in the mood to marry Asher. They’ve been dating for so long with not even a hint of a proposal in sight. Tomorrow, she’s a bridesmaid and he’s a groomsman. Maybe standing up front during our practice run got them thinking about their own future.

According to the rumor mill that seems to run continually no matter how far apart we all live, Asher really wants to propose, but Lani has told it to him straight that she’s not ready until after she’s finished her doctorate. Who knows how long that will take? She’s been studying for forever!

It’s driving Asher a little insane… and last I heard, he was planning on just ignoring her request and popping the question. I don’t know if he’s done it yet, though.

Lani laughs at something Caroline just said, giving her wrist a sympathetic squeeze while Asher grins between them, kissing Lani’s bare shoulder before skimming his fingers down her arm.

“Sorry I’m late.” I spin and smile at a flustered-looking Liam. It’s unusual to see him out of sorts like this. He’s usually cool and calm, but there’s a marked frown on his face that he’s struggling to hide.

I shake his hand. “No worries, man. Rachel warned us that you were tied up at work. Glad you could make it.”

“Thanks.” He nods and starts scanning the room for his wife. As soon as he spots her, he seems to relax and looks back at me, his lips curling up at the edges. “The rehearsal go okay?”

“Yep.” I grin. “Rachel is the perfect maid of honor. Tammy’s in good hands.”

Liam’s smile grows a little wider. “She was so touched when Tammy asked all those years ago. I’m stoked it’s finally happening for real.”

“Tell me about it.” I bulge my eyes, then let out a throaty chuckle. It’s edged with a nervousness I can’t hide. There’s less than twenty-four hours to go until Tammy’s officially my wife, and if history has taught me anything… that’s still plenty of time for things to completely bomb.

Casey moves around me, slapping Liam on the shoulder. “You good, dude?”

He gives an awkward nod before sighing. “Just a tough day. Shift ran over, and I hate being late.” The tense set of his jaw tells me the lateness is probably the smallest factor. I wonder what he saw on the streets today. He doesn’t tell too many cop stories—he’s a stickler for protocol and respecting the rights of the people he arrests—but we can always tell when he’s had a harrowing day. Not sure what went down, but it can’t have been pretty. I’m sure the constant stream of rain didn’t help either.

I smile again, wanting to ease his tension. Man, I’m desperate to ask for deets, but he won’t spill, and I actually admire him more for the fact that he’s not a big gossip.

Nolan might be a small town, but there’s still some pretty heinous shit that goes on behind the scenes, and Liam has to face it all.

“Well, time to put that shit behind you and enjoy the night.” Casey grins, and I step aside so he can take a seat at the Hockey House table.

Rachel glides up to Liam’s side, lightly kissing his lips and cupping his cheek. She murmurs something that I can’t hear, and he gives her a tired, sad smile before kissing her again. For some reason, I keep watching them for a moment longer. They’ve had to deal with some tough shit this year, and?—

Rachel’s eyes dart across the table, her lips jerking into a tense smile that is so un-Rachel-like, my eyebrows jump up in surprise.

“Hey, Liam,” Caroline murmurs softly, her smile just as tight as Rachel’s.

“Hi, Caroline.” His voice is rumbly and deep, like he’s walking through a minefield just saying hello to her, and my gut twists as both girls turn away and Liam winces, rubbing his forehead.

I frown at Casey. His eyes throw me a clear “don’t ask” warning, his brow wrinkling as he looks at the back of Rachel’s head. I don’t know what’s going on, but it can’t be good. Rachel is the sweetest human being on the planet, and the girls are usually so tight with each other. This frosty reception is so not good for happy rehearsal dinner vibes… and Ethan and Mikayla aren’t really helping either.

The bright smile that usually lights Mick’s face is nowhere to be seen. I’m pretty good at observing people, and I can tell, even from across the table, that she’s not having a great day.

Ethan’s watching her, lightly running his hand down her back, but he’s not looking happy either.

Actually, when I think about it, they both came in kind of tense and snippy. Maybe they got into a fight on the way here.

This is just great. Tammy’s special night is going to be ruined by these douchebags if they don’t shake off whatever they all walked in with.

I want to snap at them to get their shit together, but I’m interrupted by Kai.

“Hey, Dad.” He jumps behind me, wrapping his skinny arms around my waist.

I spin to hug him back. “Hey, buddy.”

“Mom says it’s time to take a seat and get started with speeches and stuff.”

“Sounds good.” I squeeze his shoulder and wink down at him. “Go tell Mom I’ll be there in just a sec.”

“’Kay.” He bounds off, his gangly nine-year-old legs taking him across the room at speed.

He started calling me Dad after his little sister was born. Nova’s just turned two, so she’s still learning to speak, but Kai was determined that Mama, Dada, and Kai would be her first three words, so he’s been pushing hard for that outcome. It worked out well for me, because hearing him call me Dad is one of the best things in the world. I love that kid like he’s my own.

Nova’s not here tonight. My dad took her home after the rehearsal and volunteered to skip the dinner so he could watch her. He knows as well as the rest of us that my daughter is dynamite, and she would not cope well with this situation. She’d have a blast, but it’d be like trying to tame a tornado, and Tammy and I wouldn’t get more than halfway through a sentence before having to chase after her. And when she gets around Casey and Caroline’s boys, it’s a full-blown hurricane. Thankfully, neither of them are here tonight either.

Tammy wanted a fancy, formal dinner, which means no toddlers are around to terrorize the guests.

I grin, thinking about my beautiful girl and wondering if Dad has managed to get her down for the night. That girl has my old man wrapped around her little finger. They adore each other, and he’s probably feeding her popsicles and letting her watch an entire Barbie movie. She’ll fall asleep on his lap, and he’ll be the happiest guy on the planet.

Tomorrow should be interesting. Who knows what havoc she’ll get up to as the flower girl. Kai’s determined to keep her in check, but it’s a big ask for the kid. Thankfully, Nova thinks her big brother hung the moon and will usually do what he tells her… for all of two minutes.

I’m chuckling by the time I reach the table. Tammy smiles at me, and I lightly kiss her lips as I sit down.

“You good?” she murmurs against my mouth.

“Yeah, you know how much I love these kinds of things.” I say it in a bright voice, which only makes her giggle.

“I know, right? I had such high hopes, but then I get here and am like… why are we doing this again?”

“What do you mean?” I lean toward her, cupping her elbow and checking her face for signs of distress. “Is everything okay?”

“Yeah.” She nods, but I don’t believe her.

My eyebrows pull together and she relents with a sigh. “My parents are… being my parents.” She shrugs.

I let out an irritated huff, wondering what they’ve said to make her feel bad this time.

Glancing down the table, I check that they’re behaving themselves. Thankfully, they’re talking to Uncle What-His-Name and looking nonthreatening… for now.

“You giving a speech, son?” Grandpa takes a seat beside me.

“Yeah.” I pull out my index cards, my hands starting to shake.

Stupid traditions. Why the hell do we do this stuff?

You’re doing it for Tammy. Just focus on her and you’ll get through this.

I glance up and notice she’s watching me. Her pained smile hurts my chest, and I lightly brush my fingers down her face and whisper, “I love you. I’d do anything for you.”

“I know giving speeches is not your thing. I’m so?—”

“Don’t apologize,” I quickly cut her off before she can. “I love you, TT.”

Her smile is beautiful, and I rise from my seat before I can chicken out.

Asher notices and starts tapping his fork against his wine glass.

“Speech!” Casey pumps his fist in the air. “Go, Bax-Man!”

I cringe as a cheer goes up from the Hockey House table. Tamara’s mom looks like she’s been sucking on a lemon as she gives the unruly bunch a disapproving glare.

Clearing my throat, I focus back on my bride-to-be. She takes my hand, her brown gaze bright with affection.

“I, uh…” I clear my throat again and check my cards before scanning the tables around me. “Thank you all for coming. Tammy and I are so happy you could make it.”

“Finally!” Ethan calls out, and everyone starts to laugh.

“True. Looks like we’re actually going to make it this time.” I grin. “Thanks for sticking with us. I love this beautiful woman beside me so much.” I glance down at her, then wink at Kai. “My family is the most important thing to me, and being able to make it all official tomorrow is something I’ve wanted for a long time now.”

Tammy grins up at me and mouths, “I love you.”

“We—”

Someone’s phone starts ringing, and I pause, fighting a smile when I see Mikayla jerk in her seat, her eyes bulging in apology as she wrestles out her device, then winces and gets up from the table, running out of the room to answer the call.

Ethan watches her go—a dark, irritated grimace scrunching his face.

I’m not sure what that’s about, but I’m once again struck by the unsettling vibes that seem to be emanating from so many of my friends tonight. Everything just seems kind of off, and that was not what I was hoping for coming into my wedding. It’s like Tammy and I are cursed when it comes to this big day.

This is attempt number three, and I have to make this work for her.

“So, yeah… uh… just wanted to say a big thank you to all my friends and family who are here celebrating with us. And I want to honor my gorgeous woman who I’ve loved since I was ten years old.”

Tammy squeezes my hand.

“I can’t wait to finally marry you tomorrow. Being your husband has been a long-time goal for me, and I’ll be the best one I possibly can be.”

“You’re going to be amazing.” Tammy jumps up, wrapping her arms around my neck and pulling me down for a kiss.

Our guests start cheering and applauding for us.

We pull away from each other, Tammy giggling, and I brush the tip of my nose against hers before smiling out across the room. My mouth dips as Ethan jerks out of his seat with an angry frown and stalks out of the room after his wife.

Concern washes through me and is only amplified when Caroline starts wincing and rubbing her forehead. She’s obviously uncomfortable and wants to leave too.

I catch Casey’s eye and tip my head for the door, letting him know he can go. He looks disappointed, standing with a glum smile and helping Caroline up. She cradles her belly, walking out of the room with barely a goodbye.

Rachel watches her go, tears lining her lashes.

Liam leans in to comfort her, and I get that sick feeling in the pit of my stomach again.

I’m getting married tomorrow, and the people who are most important to me seem to be a fractured mess.

I want this wedding to be perfect for Tammy, but I can’t shake the feeling that we’re heading into yet another disaster.

Seven months ago, Tammy asked something of me, and I swore I’d make it happen for her.

Shit, what if I can’t keep my promise?